Ball State at Toledo Preview and Betting Pick
The Mid-American Conference Tournament begins this week at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Some of the bigger conferences will get most of the betting attention this week, but the MAC Tournament should provide some terrific drama.
The first game of the MAC Tournament will feature the top-seeded Toledo Rockets taking on the 8-see Ball State Cardinals. These two teams split the regular-season matchups, and both games ended in blowout fashion.
Ball State went 3-3 over their last six games, but the Cardinals went just 8-9 in MAC games this season. The Cardinals were expected to contend for the title, but a slow start pushed them out of the race.
Toledo finished with a 15-4 record in conference action to claim the regular-season title. The Rockets finished the season by winning four of their last five games, and bring some momentum into Thursday.
Ball State at Toledo Preview and Betting Pick: Cardinals Want to Fly
The Ball State Cardinals are not the highest-scoring team in this matchup, but they have been lighting up the scoreboard of late. The Cardinals had three straight games with at least 90 points scored, and that offense can be almost unstoppable at times.
Ishmael El-Amin and K.J. Walton have combined for over 32 points per game this season, and they will look to carry the Cardinals against Toledo. Both players hardly leave the floor for Ball State, and they set the tempo on offense.
Ball State is shooting just 34 percent from the three-point line, but this is a team that can get hot in a hurry. The Cardinals did it to Toledo once this season, and will be looking for a repeat performance.
Defense has been an issue for this team, as they have allowed nearly 75 points per game. It will likely take one of the best defensive efforts of the season for Ball State to pull off the uspet on Thursday.
Ball State at Toledo Preview and Betting Pick: No Stopping the Red-Hot Rockets
The Toledo Rockets are averaging more than 81 points per game this season, and this is a team that is loaded with offensive talent. Toledo has scored at least 79 points in each of their last six games, and they don’t ever stop putting pressure on their opponents.
Guard Marreon Jackson leads the team with 17.6 points per game this season, but there are four other players averaging in double figures. Toledo is shooting nearly 39 percent from behind the arc, and they have the ability to catch fire in a hurry.
Toledo will give up some points as they are allowing just over 71 points per game this season. The Rockets know what Ball State is capable of on offense, and so look for them to be locked in on Thursday morning.
Ball State at Toledo Preview and Betting Pick
The MAC is one of the most unpredictable conferences in the country when it comes to college football, and the same can be said on the hardwood. There have been a number of stunning upsets throughout the year, and Ball State will be looking to pull off another one on Thursday.
Ball State stunned Toledo earlier in the season, but the Rockets were able to get revenge at the end of the year. The Cardinals will not be an easy out, but Toledo is simply the better team in this matchup.
If you are a fan of scoring, then this will be the game to watch as these teams can really light it up. In the end though, Toledo will simply be too much for Ball State, and they will advance in the MAC Tournament.
This should be a double-digit win for Toledo, and consider betting the over as well.
Final Score:
Toledo 86
Ball State 72
